More and more people are recognizing the benefits of regular exercise, and the exercise industry has experienced rapid growth as a result. Popularity has sparked demand for exercise equipment and translated into greater sophistication, increasing the need for new and improved exercise equipment. One popular form of exercise is simulated rowing, which has prompted the development of various rowing machine exercise devices that are discussed in general terms below.
The rowing stroke basically consists of a "drive" portion in which the rower thrusts backward, a "recovery" portion in which the rower leans forward, and a "catch" portion in which the rower makes the transition from the recovery portion to the next drive portion. To simulate this rowing motion, a typical rowing machine has a seat that slides back and forth on a rail or track. During the drive portion of the motion, a person sitting in the seat pushes against a platform to force the seat rearward, while also pulling rearward on some type of handle. During the recovery portion of the motion, the seat and handle return forward to stable rest positions. During the catch portion of the motion, the rower recovers the resistance, if any, to rearward movement of the seat and/or handle.
One problem with conventional prior art rowing machines is that the primary resistance to movement is provided through the handle, so that the focus of the rowing exercise is the arms rather than the legs. As a result, the rowing exercise is more stressful on the person's back, as force is transmitted from the person's arms down through the back to the seat. Also, the rowing exercise tends to be less productive because the back stress tends to fatigue a person prematurely, prior to achieving worthwhile aerobic exercise. Additionally, the rowing exercise would likely burn more calories if a significant portion of the workout were imposed on the leg and hip muscles, which are larger and can do more work than the arm muscle. Thus, it is desirable to provide a rowing machine exercise apparatus that provides direct resistance to rearward movement of the seat in order to more significantly involve the muscles of the legs and hips. Some prior art devices have addressed this concern, but it remains a significant design consideration nonetheless.
Another common problem with rowing machines is that the seat and the foot platform are at the same relative elevation above the ground. As a result, a person using a "flat" rowing machine typically must crouch forward into a cramped position in order to reach the handle, and often also tends to lean backward during the drive motion. Such deviations from a proper posture place unnecessary stress on the person's back, creating a greater risk of injury (such as hyperextension of the lower back) and reducing the effectiveness of the exercise. The premature fatigue problems are exacerbated with this type of machine because the exercise focuses away from the upper legs and hips. Thus, it is desirable to provide a rowing machine exercise apparatus that makes it unnecessary and undesirable to assume a less than ideal posture during rowing exercise. The potential for injury increases as a person leans further backward during the drive portion of each rowing stroke. As a person approaches a supine position parallel to the ground, the person's spine assumes an orientation perpendicular to the direction of gravitational force so that a maximum stress must be placed on the person's back in order to return to an upright position. Thus, it is desirable to provide a rowing machine that eliminates the possibility of the person assuming a supine position parallel to the ground.
Most "flat" rowing machines are also relatively difficult to mount and dismount due to their proximity to the ground. In many instances, the seat is only inches from the floor surface supporting the rowing machine. In order to minimize the potential for back injury, it is desirable to provide a rowing machine exercise apparatus that has a seat positioned at a more suitable level above the ground to facilitate mounting and dismounting.
Yet another problem with typical rowing machines is the absence of any selective limit on the attainable range of motion. A person undergoing rehabilitation or susceptible to back injury may face injury by moving too far forward during the recovery portion of a stroke. Thus, it is desirable to provide a rowing machine that includes a mechanism for limiting the travel of the seat according to specific needs.
Many rowing machines also suffer from relatively complicated and expensive construction that renders such machines an unaffordable luxury for the average consumer. An additional problem with many such machines is that they are not designed to be portable. Thus it is desirable to provide a rower that is relatively simple and lightweight in construction.
Inadequacies also exist with respect to many of the various resistance systems incorporated into rowing machines. For example, the resistance can often be disjointed, difficult to equate for each arm, and/or susceptible to slippage. Also, many of the rowing machines are severely limited in terms of resistance adjustability.